


Flyboys

by Dr_Roslin



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003), Battlestar Galactica - All Media Types
Genre: A/R but make it earlier, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Everyone who needs to be is divorced, Flyboys are my kryptonite, I keep trying to write smut and blocking myself with love and sweet angst, Just as reassurance, Lee Adama is a pain but we love him, The boys are only kids yet, Training Accidents, Zak Adama is adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23247589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Roslin/pseuds/Dr_Roslin
Summary: Laura goes walking in the woods and finds a wounded flyboy. Oh, the possibilities.
Relationships: William Adama/Laura Roslin
Comments: 11
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> LiveJournal import, original notes as follows: 
> 
> Laura goes walking in the woods and finds a wounded flyboy. Oh, the possibilities. Okay, that sounded dirtier than it should, I promise, it's not like that, honestly, I have no idea how to write smut. Though, if anyone could inspire me...
> 
> Anyway, I'm hoping that if I post the first couple of parts, I'll find a way to finish it.

Husker managed to prop himself up against the trunk of a tree, wincing in pain. Turning his attention to the massive gash in his left leg, he struggled to pull out his utility knife from the pocket on his flight suit, managing not to spill the first aid pack onto the ground. Ripping open the pant leg of the suit with the aid of the knife, he sighed.

_‘Well, this is a fine kettle of fish you’ve gotten yourself into, my boy,’_ his late grandmother’s voice whispered in his ear, her Tauron accent as strong in memory as it had been in life.

It was. There was no way around it. His C.O. was going to kill him. And that was if he managed to survive this. How could he have gotten into such a stupid mess? Still. First things first. He might have to move quickly, and he couldn’t be tied down. Looking up into the tree above him, he cut the strings of the parachute currently stuck in its substantial branches. That was better, though, from the look of his leg, he wasn’t going anywhere fast.

Turning his attention back to the wound, he moved quickly, sprinkling on the antibiotic powder before slapping on an absorbent pad. Now came the hard part. Grimacing at the pain, he lifted his leg. _Godsdamn it._ He lifted it high enough to maneuverer the bandage around it and yanking it tight, tied it into place.

By now he was panting with pain and exertion, so he allowed himself one blessed moment to take a sip of water before leaning his head back against the tree trunk with relief. Now all he needed was a plan. Step one; figure out where the hell he was…

Having gotten used to the sounds of nature around him in the few minutes since he’d … landed, his eyes flashed open at the telltale sound of footsteps nearby as a twig broke underfoot. Grabbing his rifle and flipping off the safety, he raised it towards the approaching intruder.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

_Flyboys. Every time._

Laura sighed silently as she looked at the wounded predator holding the gun on her.

‘Well, this is unexpected,’ she said, careful to keep her hands in sight and her voice pitched low.

The massive wound and the parachute tangled in the tree told their own story.

She examined him with interest as he lowered the gun and closed his eyes, in pain, she imagined.

The massive wound in his thigh, which was seeping blood, clearly explained that. The fact that blood was already seeping through the bandage was not the best of signs, particularly since it was clear he’d recently attended to it.

_Or maybe he’s just really bad at it_ , she thought. Examining it again, she could see that it would have to be adjusted. She tried again to engage him.

‘Hello. I’m Laura.’

‘Bill,’ he grunted, eyes still closed.

She moved slowly towards him, but even with her quiet movement, his eyes snapped open. Dear lords they were blue.

‘Relax; I’m just going to have a look at your leg. I think the bandage needs to be fixed.’

‘It’s fine.’

‘It’s not.’ She snapped back, and surprised a grin out of him. Deciding to take that as a win, she moved more quickly and squatted down to have a closer look. He’d obviously decided to trust her; neither her quick movements nor her tone made him snap back. Rather he left his head resting against the true, eyes closed. He must be in a great deal of pain.

She made a number of adjustments to the bandage, she was right; it had not been as well situated as he’d clearly thought. Given the pain he was in and the angle of the wound, she wasn’t surprised. Satisfied, she sat back, her eyes on level with his as she sat on the ground in front of him.

‘Alright, Mr. Bill… Adama,’ she said, reading his last name off the front of his flight suit. ‘The question is, now what do we do with you?’

‘It’s Captain Adama. Or Husker.’

_Husker? Must be the voice. Yum. Stop it Laura_ , she chastised herself. _Flyboys. Every frakking time._

‘Alright, Captain. What’s the plan?’

‘Where am I? You familiar with this area? There a trail nearby? ’

‘That’s right. It’s about twenty yards that way. I saw the parachute and decided to check it out.’

‘Well that was really stupid.’

‘Excuse me?!?’

‘Who knows what you could have found.’

‘Really? ‘Cause Cylons have taken to parachuting into the woods looking for trouble?’

‘Fine. Whatever. You shouldn’t be wandering around the woods by yourself. Where’s the rest of you?’

‘The rest of me? I’ve been wandering around these woods for years, _Captain_ , and the only problem I’ve ever had is you.’

He glared at her but she could see from the colour fading from his cheeks that he was already cooling down. _Quick temper, eh Captain? Flyboys._ Still, it looked like he was also quick to cool off, for which she was thankful. They would have had a hard enough time getting out of here as it was.

‘Your, uh, colleagues,’ she wasn’t sure what to call them, ‘will they be out looking for you? Did you, I don’t know, send out a distress call or something?’

Man that sounded lame, even to her.

‘Not right away. They’ll be looking tomorrow. ‘Till then, they won’t really be expecting me back.’ _Then it’s a good thing I came along_ , she thought to herself, keeping quiet despite her own temper. No point in getting him all riled up again.

‘Well, between me and a large, uh, stick, I think we can get you to the trail and maybe back to my car. We should get you to a hospital sooner rather than later.’

‘How far had you hiked in?’

‘Not far. About 20 minutes. Obviously it will take longer with you in your… condition.’

His mouth twisted. ‘Obviously.’

‘All right.’ She stood up and started looked for a sturdy stick long enough and hefty enough for him to use as a crutch. Hmm. He was about 5’9, maybe, a couple of inches taller than her… and _gorgeous_ , her traitorous mind supplied. _Stop it. Just stop it, Laura. Focus._ She found a stick, it wasn’t perfect, but it would do. Moving back over to him, she helped him rise with her help and that of the branch. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, grunting with pain.

There was some heft there, she thought as she tried to stay steady under his weight. He was slight but muscular, which made sense given his occupation. Standing so close to her, her body supporting his and his being wrapped around her, his shoulders overwhelmed her much smaller frame.

_Yumm, yumm. Maybe that’s what the Husker referred to. Stop it. Honestly, Laura, you have to stop this. You’re not 16, anymore, drooling over posters of pretty boy pilots…_

Although, clearly, no one would refer to Bill Adama as a pretty boy. His features were too harsh, his skin potted and scarred. His eyes were the only beautiful thing about him, although they would certainly stand out anywhere. Otherwise… he wasn’t tall, she’d be his height or taller in any number of her heels, and while his body was… _(Stop it!)_ ...he paled in comparison, physically at least, to any number of men she passed by on a daily basis.

It’s just that he was so masculine. The eyes, and the shoulders, and that voice… _Damn it. I really need to get laid._ As soon as the thought popped into her head, she regretted it, feeling the answering flush move through her body. _Double damn it._

Meanwhile, while she was busy day dreaming, (and drooling like an idiot, probably), he had settled into his stance, balancing with the help of her support and that of the stick. She guessed he felt he was as steady as he felt he could be as he leaned into her.

‘Alright,’ he grunted. ‘Let’s move.’  



	2. Chapter 2

_Redheads. Every time._

There’s a reason he struggled with the natural inclination that drew him to redheads. A reason he only dated blondes. Okay, and maybe the occasional brunette, but never redheads, nope. No, no sir. No matter how much the shifting, shimmering colour called to him. Redheads were Trouble, Trouble with a Capital ‘T’…

And this one more than most. He could tell, even as he leaned into her support, even as she helped him slowly hobble through the forest. She wasn’t tall, about 5’6, and shouldn’t have been especially noticeable. She was attractive, though not especially striking, at least not at first glance. With the auburn hair that spilled out in a ponytail from the back of her Caprican Buccaneer ball cap and the porcelain skin that went with it, she stood out, but otherwise...

She wasn’t his type, he reminded himself firmly, even as the pain wracked his body with every step. She was bossy, and skinny, and her face was by far too cute to be considered striking. So what if she was a redhead. So what if her eyes were the colour of the coastal sea by which he’d grown up, grey at first, then green, then… ever changing, they drew him in, making it hard to focus.

 _Just the meds,_ he reminded himself.

 _Yeah. Right_.

 _Concentrate on the pain, Husker_ , he reminded himself. Not that it was hard to ignore. Even with the adjustments she’d made to the bandages (she was right, they had been attached shoddily), he could still feel the blood oozing through. Every step was torture, and he could feel the weakness and pain growing with every movement. The large branch she’d found provided some support, though he knew she the one doing most of the heavy lifting in supporting him. He hoped she was right about the distance. If it was much further than she thought, he’d never make it, even with her acting as his human crutch.

It was a good thing she was close to his height, the difference only a few inches, making it easier for him to wrap his arm around her shoulder and lean in…

_Redheads._

_Every frakking time._

‘So, ah,’ she cleared her throat. ‘You live in Caprica City?’

‘What?’

‘Your home? Caprica City?’

‘We making small talk now?’

‘You need to stay with me, Captain. I need you to concentrate. Now, Caprica City? Home?’

‘No,’ he grunted. ‘The _Galactica_.’

‘The _Galactica_? What’s that? A, ahh, ship?’

He’d forgotten what it was like dealing with civilians.

‘Yes, it’s a ship,’ he snapped, the pain getting the most of him. ‘The _Galactica_. The Battlestar _Galactica_. You know, one of the Twelve?’ 

‘Oh, of course. The Twelve. The… massive ships they launched to fight the Cylons. One, in honor of each Colony, right? I didn’t, uh, know, people actually, uh, lived on them. Stupid of me, I guess.’

Great. He was making a _lovely_ first impression. He didn’t know why, but Laura being uncomfortable made _him_ uncomfortable. Clearly he was getting soft, but she was keeping him alive at the moment. The least he could do was find a way to keep the conversation going; she seemed to think it was important.

‘The _Galactica_ is …my home. In some ways the only place I’ve ever been at home.’

_Now why had he said that?_

‘You didn’t grow up there, though, right? Or maybe, you did?’ She said with a smile, looking at him sideways under the bill of her cap. ‘Sprung a fully grown Colonial warrior from its bowels? Like Athena from the head of Zeus?’

He laughed a little, at that, then wished he hadn’t as it came out a rusty growl. ‘No, I didn’t grow up on the _Galactica_ , though in some ways I feel like I grew up _in_ the Fleet. There’s a small coastal town, not far from Caprica City, Qualai? My parents live there. That’s where I grew up.’

‘So, you were meant to be a fisherman?’

Now there’s a thought. ‘No. My father is an attorney in Caprica City. He figured we’d go into partnership together.’

‘Ahh.’ She was wise enough not to push that one. He was clearly not a lawyer. ‘And your mother?’

‘His legal partner. Actually, she does a little of everything. Keeps him going. Keeps him balanced. Keeps us talking.’

 _What was it with this woman?_ He’d met her five minutes ago, and already he was ready to spill his guts. At this rate, he’d be giving up Colonial defense codes within a half an hour. It’s good thing she wasn’t a Cylon, though unless they’d taken on human form while he wasn’t paying attention, he was probably safe.

He could tell from the area around the trail they were on that it was coming out of the forest, so he concentrated on managing the pain long enough to get to her car. She said she had a car, right? It was getting a little fuzzy. She’d better have a car or he was shit out of luck. No wonder he’d never been any good at cards…

 _Focus!_ He could almost hear his C.O. screaming in his ear. _Just a little further._ He saw with a sigh of relief that they had cleared the woods, his feet scraping against the gravel as she half led, half dragged him across the small parking lot to a compact car.

 _Thank the gods_ , he thought, as he leaned against the compact. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to make it until he passed out. Even now, as she moved quickly to open the door and maneuver him into the passenger seat, he felt as though he was watching from afar, watching as the slim redhead painfully lowered the pilot in the blood-stained flight suit into the ancient vehicle.

She sat him in the car, slouched listlessly on the seat, his head lolling against the head rest, his legs sticking out of the car, his body screaming in relief. He was moments from passing out; he barely noticed as she ripped apart an old t-shirt and formed it into a bandage. He _did_ notice when she ripped the current bandage off, the pain shocking him once more into full consciousness. She dropped it at his feet, sopping with blood, before quickly slapping on the newly improvised bandage, using her belt to secure it in place. Blessedly, at this point, the numbness had returned, though it didn’t last long as she picked up his feet, one at a time, and maneuvered his legs into the car, slamming the door behind them.

‘Okay, Husker,’ she said as she breathlessly plopped into the driver seat after tearing around the hood of the car. ‘Let’s get a move on.’

Moving as quickly as she could, she half-climbed, half-clambered over him to grab his seat belt before securing it. Twisting her upper torso, she slid into position in her seat, strapped herself in and started the ignition.

‘Let’s see how fast we can get you to there.’

Merging onto the highway from the entrance of small parking lot, she glanced over at his leg, the blood already seeping through the new bandage, and grimaced.

‘Well,’ she told him with grim determination, ‘if the cops decide to pull us over, they can always act as our escort.’

Fascinated, he watched as her foot forced the gas petal ever closer to the floorboard, and passed out…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come see me at [@RandomBks.](https://twitter.com/RandomBks)
> 
> It's been a while since I worked on this, though I have quite a lot of it written, and feedback is always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wildcard Friday, everyone! As per your requests, I'm happy to update this - such sweet BSG.

_Wait. Where’d she go?_

It took him a minute; he wasn’t propped up in the passenger seat of her car, he was lying in a bed, the pale light forcing itself through the window off to the side, the smell of antiseptic a pungent indicator of the fact that he was clearly in the hospital.

_I frakking hate hospitals._

‘Well, Old Man,’ he heard a familiar voice say, ‘see you’ve decided to stop slacking off.’

He turned his head enough to see his closest friend leaning against the wall, blowing smoke out the partially open window.

‘See you’re still failing to make yourself useful.’

Lieutenant Saul ‘Mustang’ Tigh grinned at him before stubbing out his cigarette on the sill and moving over to grasp his hand.

‘Gave us a bit of a scare, when the doc called. I told the Boss, though, going to take more than a tree to kill Adama.’

‘Came damn close.’

‘I heard.’

Bill closed his eyes and leaned back into his pillow, feeling woozy and achy all at once.

‘How pissed is he?’

‘That you failed spectacularly at the exercise or that you nearly got yourself killed?’

‘Both,’ he smiled wryly, shooting his friend a sideways glance.

Saul settled himself into the chair next to the bed, looking as at ease as a Cheshire cat who’d got into the cream. Though Bill knew his friend suffered at times from post-traumatic stress, you’d never know it, running into him in the street or flying with him in combat. It was only during long periods of inactivity when his symptoms, evidenced by extreme self-destructiveness and indicated by heavy drinking and brawling came to the fore. _Too much time to think,_ Saul’d once told Bill regarding down-times between missions. He’d catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eyes, and the memories would come flooding back, paralyzing him. The drinking, the fighting, the adrenaline rush; _It reminds me I’m alive._

He’d been getting better, lately, been on more of an even keel, though Bill wasn’t sure what to expect if the rumors were true and the Colonial governments really did think the Cylons were gone for good. Either way, he’d keep an eye on him. He was too good a man to leave hanging in the breeze.

Oblivious to his friend’s musings, Saul had settled into a half-doze, utilizing that basic combat skill of being able to grab a quick nap, anytime, anywhere. Slumped down in the chair, he glanced at his wounded friend out of the corner of his eye.

‘Well, pretty boy,’ Tigh told him, making him grin, ‘he told to tell you that it’s a good thing the tree didn’t kill you ‘cause he’s reserving that privilege for himself.’

‘Good to know.’

‘Not like you did too badly. Met the redhead who brought you in.’

‘Un-hunh.’

‘Hey man, if you’re not interested…’

Knowing full well his friend preferred sharp-eyed blondes to pragmatic redheads with soft edges and quick tongues, Bill ignored him. 

‘Besides. I think she likes me.’

He couldn’t help it, he laughed.

‘She’d tear you to bits in three minutes.’

Saul grinned.

‘But those three minutes…Hey. _I’m_ allowed to date redheads.’

‘Not this one, you’re not.’

His friend smiled wryly as he dozed off in his chair.

***

 _Great. Just great_. _He_ was still there.

Flyboys, she had a thing for. Jackasses, she did not.

‘Ms. Roslin.’

‘Lieutenant.’

Turning her attention to her wounded flyboy, who looked miserable and trapped in the hospital bed, she smiled.

‘Bill.’

‘Laura. It’s good to see you.’

‘It's good to see you too.’

Something passed between the two men, and Tigh clearly decided he had someplace else to be, moving abruptly to get up and through the door with indecent haste. Nodding at her as he passed, he still managed to annoy her, though she admitted it might have more to do with her nerves. Seeing Bill, here, in the heart of Caprica City, made it more real somehow. She missed the feeling of the two of them, out of the woods, like they were the last people in the worlds, reliant on the other to survive.

Him looking at her, like this, like he was seeing her for the first time, she suddenly felt nervous. And shy.

Moving resolutely through the small room, Laura tried to avoid the penetrating gaze which seemed to follow her everywhere. She hadn’t been sure what to expect from a fully conscious Adama, but she hadn’t be able to stay away. 

‘Umm,’ he cleared his throught, ‘would you like to sit down?’

She’d tried to tell herself that her duty and connection to the pilot was done. She’d got him to the hospital, dealt with the doctors, notified the authorities (met the ever-delightful Saul Tigh). Duty done. She should just send Bill a get-well-soon card and be done with it. Yet here she was. She met his eyes for a millisecond, smiling despite herself.

‘Thanks.’

Sitting in the same grey hospital chair in which she’d spent an inordinate amount of time yesterday, she sighed. Duty done. It was perfectly acceptable to wish him the best and then be on her way. Yet here she was, sitting in this miserably uncomfortable chair. Frak. She hated hospitals. She’d once sworn she’d never spend another moment in one.

Well, it appeared she’d been mistaken.

Lost in her thoughts for a moment, she resurfaced from painful thoughts of long nights and sleepless days in grey rooms to find patiently, his eyes on her.

‘You’re a very restful person,’ she blurted out.

A rough chuckle seemed surprised out of him.

‘Now that’s the first time anyone’s accused me of that.’

‘Really?’

She looked at him in surprise, a slight smile forming on her lips.

‘You are. Patient. I feel like I could tell you anything and you’d accept it.’

‘Well, not anything.’

She laughed, this time.

‘Don’t worry. Still not a Cylon.’

He laughed in turn, though she caught the grimace as he tried to make himself comfortable in the hospital bed. Seeking to distract him, she spotted the cheap paperback sitting on the window ledge. Picking it up, she read the title before looking back at him.

‘ _Blood Runs at Midnight._ Really?’

Was that blush along the ridges of those high cheekbones?

‘It’s actually a pretty good mystery.’

‘Really.’

‘Yeah. I swear. I picked it up on a whim and…’

She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

‘Because, honestly, I just assumed Saul left it here.’

‘No, really. I know the cover’s a bit much, but honestly. I’ve read it several times and it still surprises.’

‘Hmm.’

‘You should try it.’

She sat for a moment, wondering if…

‘Maybe I might…Tell me your favourite part. No spoilers. I'll give it a chance, then report back to you. I could bring you a few more while you’re here.’

He smirked. ‘I don’t know. That one sets a high standard. Hard to top _Blood Runs at Midnight.’_

‘Yeah, well, it’s clearly a classic.’

‘What do you think I should read as a chaser?’

‘Well, there’s this new thriller out – a woman who forgets the last twenty years of her life whenever she goes to sleep…’

‘Intriguing. Have you read…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to escalate - and quickly....  
> *BTW, the book Laura refers to is 'Before I Go To Sleep' by S.J. Watson if you're looking for a great thriller to pass the time. Way better than the movie.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the tags, though a little angst is slipping in here.

She was surprised when the nurse came to kick her out at the end of visiting hours, surprised at how time had flown by. She like to think she’d helped, Bill had seemed reluctant to see her go, but she promised to be back the next night with a sack of books. Reading that cheesy pulp novel seemed a small price to pay to make him happy, and it had been a while since she’d enjoyed herself so much.

It turns out he was right, though she wasn't sure she'd tell him that. The frakking book was crack. Ok, really, really good, frakking good, crack. She couldn’t put it down. She’d read in one sitting, and when she looked up it had felt like coming out of a coma. Man, that was a great book. The next day as her heels clicked through the hospital hallways on her way back to his room, she wondered if she should admit how much she'd enjoyed it. On the other hand, he’d clearly gotten so much enjoyment foreseeing his enjoyment. She wasn’t sure she wanted to deny him that. On the other hand, she hated admitting to him how wrong she'd been and how, well, right, he'd been. 

It was a dilemma, she'd admit. 

‘Don’t know why you have to be so stupid!’

She was caught off guard as a boy, she’d guess about ten, tow-headed and fast on his feet, tore out of one of the patient rooms and into her path, nearly taking her out in the bargain. Startled, he looked up at her, the vividly blue eyes in his eyes taking her breath again.

‘Sorry, ma’am,’ he managed before he tore off.

She turned to watch him ran at speed down the very same hallway she’d just walked up. Distracted, she almost ran straight into the tall blonde who was chasing the boy out of the room, barely missing by inches.

Disorientated, she stumbled into Bill’s room, confused as to what to expect next. Despite that, she could only stare at the scene before her.

‘ – don’t know why you won’t listen. Mom says you’re supposed to be back in time for my birthday. We got plans for the movies and everything.’

The small boy curled up on the hospital bed next to her flyboy couldn’t be more than six. Dark as the other boy had been blonde, his features were fine, his build slighter, though given the age difference, she wasn’t sure how much of it was bred to the bone. 

‘Bill,’ she said, keeping her tone neutral as she greeted him, unsure of her ground.

‘Zak, say ‘hi’ to my friend, Laura.’

‘Hi Laura.’

She smiled in response, unable to resist the urchin perched on the bed. The resemblance was striking. He had his father’s colouring, though his features were as delicate as the blonde woman she'd just ran into, who she could only assume was his mother.

‘Hi Zak. I see you’ve come to take care of your father?’ she asked, going on instinct.

Despite the voices screaming in the back of her brain, she fought the urge to walk right out the door. Something told her there was more to the story here than met the eye, and she wanted to find out what exactly that was.

Moving to lift his books back onto the side table she sat once again in the visitor’s chair where she’d so many hours over the last day or two.

‘Yup. But Lee doesn’t want to. He says Dad left us so he shouldn’t have to do anything Dad says.’

 _Ouch_. Out of the mouths of babes, apparently. Lee must be the older boy, the older one she'd last seen running down the hallway. She wondered at the anger and pain she’d seen in his eyes as he’d all but run her over. It had been hard to miss, that pain. Had to be. It had been hard to miss the fire and determination in his eyes, too. She wondered what she’d see the next time they met. It was hard to imagine that it would be long.

‘Well, I’m sure you’re dad appreciates you being here.’

Bill smiled at his youngest son.

‘You know I do.’

He wouldn’t quite meet her eyes as she looked at him. Instead, he seemed to focus on his fingers as he tousled Zak’s hair, so dark it was almost black, so dark like his father’s, but much finer and less curly. She couldn’t look away, focusing instead on the way the child curled ever closer to him.

She was still unsure of the dynamics here, and she wasn’t eager, to be honest, to find out exactly how much she’d put herself in an untenable position. In any case, she couldn’t escape the sinking feeling that she’d walked into the scene from an entirely different book. It had been fun while it lasted, but she’d made that mistake before, entangled herself with a man not totally free. She wasn’t ready to make it again.

‘Alright. Well, I’m at least glad you’re here to keep an eye on him,’ she said, smiling quietly at the small boy rather than Bill. ‘You can keep him out of trouble.’

Ignoring the scowl on Zak’s face (man, that kid was adorable with that frown), she smiled politely as she put her teacher face back on.

‘Zak, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and make sure you take care of your dad; he’s almost as stubborn as you. Bill, I’ll see you later; enjoy your family time.’

She beat a hasty retreat back out the door before either of them could do more than blink. She was looking forward to being well gone before Lee and the blonde made their way back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm sorry this is late, I looked at it yesterday, and was like - this is so horrible, I'm never releasing any of my writing ever again, why do I even bother? I started spiralling, so I took a deep breath, put it aside for a day and we will continue. I know where I'm going with this, so I just have to focus, right? 
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the short, LATE update, and I promise better to come.


	5. Chapter 5

_Well done, Adama, you really outdid yourself there._

_Frak._

He’d really frakked up. He shouldn’t have put off explaining his family ‘situation’ to Laura, but he had – like a coward – and he was now paying the penance for his cowardice. No wonder he hadn’t been able to look her in the eye. The look of bewilderment he’d caught a glimpse of there had come perilously close to pain.

Frak.

And he had no idea if she was coming back. Given how badly he’d messed it all up, he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t, which was a problem if he wanted to see her again since he had no clue of how to get a hold of her.

_Frak. Frakity, frak, frak. Nice Adama. Real nice._

Alright. One crisis at a time. The boys weren’t to blame for the mess he and Carolyn had made, and they shouldn’t have to pay the price for it. Lee and his ex-wife had finally made their way back to the room and he silently blessed Laura’s impeccable sense of timing. The boys were confused as it was, and Lee was old enough to see through the ‘friend’ facade he’d fed Zak.

‘Can’t believe you’re being so selfish,’ his oldest boy accused him, the perma-frown of the last few months seemingly etched on his face.

He sighed slightly, focusing on staying calm.

***

She hadn’t the faintest clue as to what to do next. She debated the next few days as to whether to cut her losses and chalk up her time with Bill to a woodland adventure and the known bonding effect of traumatic events. An interlude from the normalcy of their regular lives. To put down the time they’d shared to the adrenaline and the moment and move on. It wasn’t like she didn’t have pressing obligations to fill her time. It would be simpler, it would be best, she told herself, to let ti go. To not go back to that hospital room. To let the entire episode pass into into the past and chalk it up to a lesson well learnt .

So she wasn't quite sure how she’d ended up walking through the halls of the same hospital later that week.

‘I don’t know what I’m doing her,’ she said bluntly as she walked into the sterile looking patient room, empty, thankfully empty except for her and Bill.

Still in traction, he looked up at her, quietly confused, his eyes struggling to focus on her, and she fought off the realization that he looked a great deal more tired than he had the last time. Thinner, too, though it had only been a few days since she'd seen him last.

‘You look like crap,’ she snapped instead, hoping to cover the movement of panic she’d had walking in. Plus, maybe if they screamed at each other enough, he’d throw her out.

He merely lifted his left eyebrow.

Damnable man.

‘Hello to you, too, Laura.’

She sat then, a moment in the visitor's chair,trowing herself down with little grace before she rose moments later, pacing nervously through the small room. She didn’t belong there anymore.

They stared at each other a moment longer as she fought to hold in the tears of pain and frustration.

‘Frak.’

Shocked as she was to hear the swear echo in the loud room, she was even more shocked to hear it come from her, though she didn’t regret it. She still didn’t’ regret ti as the next ones come out softer and softer.

‘Frak. Frak, frak, frak, frak, frak, frak. Frak.’

Her nervous energy all but spent, she sat down gingerly on the window sill she’d seen Saul perch on the other day. She felt the silence, increasingly awkward, wrap around her, and knew Bill had no intention of letting her off the hook.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, his familiar husky voice soft as it broke the silence even as her lips had parted to do the same.

Suddenly she felt all at once as if she was a thousand pounds and a hundred years old.

‘Husker.’ It came out more of a sigh than a name. ‘I’m sorry I still don’t really know what I’m doing here. Look – ’ she interrupted him as he went to speak – ‘obviously you’ve got a lot going on, and I’m sorry for… misreading the situation. I just – anyway, enjoy the book, and consider it a get-well-soon present.’

That last part she choked out halfway to the door, eager to escape and having regained her focus, and thankfully, the use of her legs.

Unfortunately she lost the use of them again a moment later.

‘We’ve been divorced for a year. Or, um, almost.’

Stunning, she slowly turned to stare and wondered again how a damaged, worn flyboy in traction could still manage to knock her off her feet from across the room.

‘Sit.’

She kept her eyes on him but still couldn’t find the means to make it over to that ugly grey visitor’s chair.

‘Stay. Please.’

Putting one foot ahead of another, she made it over the five feet to that chair before slowly lowering herself down.

She sat. She stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that work that just won't cooperate but that nonetheless you love unconditionally? :) Anyway, we're getting there, I promise. I mean, I think?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw it; Wild Card Friday.
> 
> Only a small update but hopefully you'll forgive me since I haven't updated in a while. Hopefully this will kick my ass into writing the rest.

She stayed. Dear gods. He wasn’t sure how’d he’d managed that, but he'd pulled it off. She stayed. She listened as he told her everything. About his sons, Zak and Lee. About Carolyn. He tried to tell her, tried to explain what had happened what it had been like. Tried to explain how they'd gotten there. Even if he’d never been able to explain it fully explain even to himself.

‘I didn’t see it.’

_I never saw, he thought._

‘But then I was always gone. At least,’ he smiled, ‘that’s what Lee tells me.’

‘Yeah.’ She hesitated even as she smiled. ‘He’s unh, really pissed.’

That was an understatement.

‘Yeah. I broke his family.’

‘That’s what he thinks.’

‘That’s what I did.’

‘Really? From what you've told me, it seems like and Carolyn were already living separate lives. All the extra duty time you were taking on, her girl time away…’

He sighted. He wished she didn’t see things so clearly.

‘Still. I _did_ break his family. I made the decision to file for divorce. And anyway, they didn’t see all of that. Far as they’re considered, one day we were fine, the next, we were all just broken. Before, the situation wasn’t ideal, but they knew who to deal with it. What to expect. What was expected of them. Mostly. Now; they don't.’

They sat in silence a moment longer before he decided it was safe to move on to other problems since he was pretty sure she’d decided against pushing him any further.

‘It must have gotten pretty bad, then.’

He heard what she left unsaid and knew she meant him to. It was true. It had simply become unbearable. He’d come to the realization that whatever the cost of filing the divorce paperwork, it was better for him, and his sons, to forcefully break out of the unhealthy spiral he and Carolyn had fallen into. Long-term they would see that. At least he hoped so. He prayed so.

The two of them, him and Carolyn. They’d been magic together. And then poison. He hoped with him out of the picture the situation for the boys would de-escalate itself. He hoped he wasn’t wrong.

‘I was sure she’d refocus on the boys without me around.’

Suddenly all the pain and exhaustion he’d been fighting off was back.

‘It will work out. I swear it.’

‘That’s what you were trying to explain to Lee.’

I broke his family, remember?’

She sighed.

‘At least from his point of view.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Give him time, Bill. Just be there.’

He suddenly laughed, gesturing at the traction he was caught up in.

‘Where else am I going to go?’

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on twitter at @RandomBks if you want to say 'hi'


End file.
